The Dare
by lisalulu
Summary: Keeton happens upon an opportunity at the waterfall while hiking one morning.  What will Lily do?  And what will the fallout be back at the clinic?    Disclaimer: I own nothing of Off the Map.
1. Chapter 1

_For the purposes of this story, please suspend all notions of the timeline from the original episodes as they were all just used as jumping-off points to further this fiction. Hope you enjoy. Review are always welcome - good, bad or ugly!_

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><p><em>This was exactly what the doctor ordered<em>, Lily thought as the water cascaded over her.

Sure, the waterfall was located along a popular hiking trail, but beggars couldn't be choosers considering the heavy petting going on in the shower this morning by Tommy and his latest conquest from the Cantina last night. If Lily was wanting a shower at all this morning, she'd have to risk a little peek-a-boo session. This place was so amazing; it would almost be worth getting caught.

In a rush to get into the water before losing her nerve, Lily had tossed her towel on the rock closest to her entrance to the pond. Unfortunately, while luxuriating under the sheet of water, Lily didn't realize the precarious hold her towel had on that rock. A slight breeze was all it took for her towel to slide off the rock's slippery surface into the water and start its slow journey to the other end of the pond.

No soap for this special location. Lily was sure that no dirt could withstand the friction from the force of the water hitting her body. She'd be sure to squeak after this. Realizing that she had taken far too long already with the change in her morning routine, Lily forced herself away from the waterfall's soothing effects, only to find that her towel had drifted to the other end of the pond. As she lazily stroked her way towards it, she realized that her towel was no longer floating, but was now in the hand of the last person she wanted to see like this – a strikingly beautiful man who was quite possibly one of the greatest humanitarians on the face of the planet.

Her boss.

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><p>Dr. Ben Keeton crouched down at the pond's edge and reached out to grab the wayward towel of one of his new recruits – actually, the only one of his new recruits that intrigued him…Brenner.<p>

Dr. Lily Brenner…tough to get a handle on that one. She was beautiful and smart as a whip - she had great instincts, that one. At first glance, what seemed to be a soft and gentle nature gave way to an underlying strength and courage that many of the male doctors he knew didn't even possess. And she was so open – something that he was not. One look from Brenner and he had to fight the urge to spill his guts – sometimes to the point of taking the coward's way out and running away, her pull was that strong.

She was a real paradox, and that made him curious.

Her gentle grace and caring nature was apparent to everyone she came in contact with. She made him feel…things that he hadn't felt in a long time – not with Ryan…not since Abby. Even to compare his feelings for Abby - at least his feelings early on in his relationship with Abby - was a disservice to Lily Brenner.

She made him itch…and he wasn't sure if he liked the feeling, but like it or not, right now he was faced with an opportunity.

Realizing that the crystal clear water hid nothing, Lily quickly turned and dolphin-kicked away from Keaton and the safety of her towel. Scrambling out of the water to hide behind the cover of a leafy plant, Lily was mortified that she was standing naked in front of her boss, except for a few leaves to preserve her modesty.

Squeezing the water from Brenner's towel, Keeton slowly approached his new doctor. "You realize that you're bathing along a popular hiking trail?"

"Um, yeah…but it was either this or go through the day with no shower at all." _Damn it, if it wasn't for rotten luck, she'd have no luck at all! She was cornered._

"What's wrong with your shower at the cabins?" Keeton asked, already knowing the answer.

"It was…in use this morning when I got up." Lily chose her words with care so as not to bust Tommy and his flavour of the moment.

"Ah…a little crowded with Fuller and the French girl from the Cantina last night, hey?" Keeton smiled, filling in the blanks considering he passed right by Brenner's cabin this morning on his way to his morning hike. There were other trails he could have taken, but this morning something had drawn him in the direction of her cabin and to this waterfall in particular. Luckily he always followed his gut.

"Something like that, yeah." Lily smiled nervously as Keeton approached. _Crap, these leaves could only hide so much!_ She held her arm out for the towel, but no towel was offered…and Keeton was still walking towards her. _Stop walking, Keeton!_

"You seem nervous, Brenner. No worries - I'm a doctor…I've seen it all before." Keeton replied, his dimple flashing. He continued his leisurely walk toward the woman behind the leaves.

"So, if I asked you how much you saw, you'd…"

"Seeing, Brenner – present tense. That plant you're hiding behind doesn't leave much to the imagination," he teased. "I never thought you'd be one to cower behind a plant. What happened to that brave woman from the zip line?"

"That woman from the zip line was just doing her job…and doing it under duress. I'm not on the clock right now, and you don't make me nervous." _Liar_. "Now if you would just hand me my towel, I can get ready for work and you can be on your way for your hike." _He'd have to respond to logic, wouldn't he?_

"You must know by now that I never make anything easy on my doctors. If you're not nervous, prove it. All you have to do is come and get your towel, and I'll be on my way." Not sure why he was tempting fate, he held the towel open for Brenner.

"You think that I won't do it? You think that you intimidate me?"

"No, Brenner, I'm _hoping_ you'll do it and it pains me that you think so little of me to think that I'm trying to intimidate you. It's my job to test you in all sorts of situations. This is just one of those tests." Keeton puts his hand over his heart. "Am I bleeding? I think your low opinion of me drew blood - I may need a doctor."

"Oh, shut up. You know that you're intentionally trying to make me nervous. And as for needing a doctor, I think that you're receiving ample care from Dr. Clark. There's nothing that I can offer that you aren't already receiving from her." Lily happened upon Clark and Keeton sharing a 'private' moment a few days ago – the same day she found out on their day-trip to San Miguel that Keeton's wife wasn't dead, but had been in a minimally-conscious state for the past 5 years. That was the day when she realized that her perfect humanitarian was just…human – flawed…like herself.

It looked like he wasn't going to back down…so neither was she. He started this, but she was going to finish it. _She could do this. He's a doctor, for crying out loud. He's seen it all before._ Mustering her courage, she pinned Keeton with her gaze and walked slowly and deliberately towards him with her arms at her sides.

_Gulp_.

Oh god, why did he start this? What was he thinking? She was a vision, walking towards him in defiance – her eyes daring him to look away. She was perfect…and he'd never wanted anything so badly in his life. Not Ryan…and not Abby.

As she walked slowly towards him, stopping just in front of him, Keeton had to remind himself that he still held the towel open for her. Letting go of one end of the towel, he moved it behind her, his gaze never wavering from hers. Lily lifted her arms from her sides, allowing Keeton to wrap the towel around her body, his fingers lingering at her breast as he tucked in the corner to anchor it.

"See, that wasn't so hard, was it?" Keeton teased, his voice husky from what just passed between them.

"You tell me, Dr. Keeton. Hard is definitely the word I'd use to describe it." Lily, empowered by her most recent actions, taunted gently, her gaze slowly running down his body coming to rest on the straining zipper of his jeans. She now knew the power she had over this man and she wasn't going to waste this opportunity to tease him. Not after he started this whole thing.

Keeton's dimples flashed as his smile widened in surprise. "Who are you and what have you done with Dr. Brenner?" She was learning, his new recruit.

"Oh, don't worry…she isn't far. The real Dr. Brenner will be back at the clinic for her shift." Lily replied with a little smile on her face.

And as Keeton reached out to tuck a strand of wet hair behind Brenner's ear, he leaned in and whispered, "Why are you so sure that's the real you, Brenner?" Then straightening and backing away from her, he said, "Clinic opens in 25 minutes. Don't be late," and with that, disappeared down the trail leaving Lily staring at his back.

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><p>She was there in twenty, and as she climbed the stairs to the veranda to join Tommy, Zee, Cole and Mina, Lily made to walk by the one man who made her pulse race and her knees buckle with just a look. A hand reached out to gently grab her wrist, detaining her, his thumb tracing lazy circles along her skin.<p>

"Dr. Keeton." Lily tensed, steeling herself for the comment that surely was to follow.

"Dr. Brenner." _That's all?_ _Thank God! He wasn't going to mention anything._

Keeton knew he was going to catch hell, but couldn't resist. "I almost didn't recognize you with your clothes on."

Four heads swivelled simultaneously to stare at Lily.

_Oh crap. _


	2. Chapter 2

Lily sat down in the lab after a hellishly long day, a pair of tweezers in her hand to pull out the multiple anaconda teeth lodged in her own flesh.

After Keeton's little 'slip' about their encounter this morning, she was left to explain the situation to her colleagues. Keeton just stood idly by with a smile on his face while she scrambled to clarify the meaning behind his comment – he was no help at all. While all five pairs of eyes - including Keeton's - were trained on Lily's flaming face, she tried to play down the whole incident, blaming Tommy since he was the cause of her seeking a shower at the waterfall in the first place.

If Lily could have strung Keeton up then and there, she would have, as the smug ass was enjoying this a bit too much. What was she, his personal plaything? Was she put here for his own personal amusement?

Keeton loved to watch the play of emotions across Brenner's face. The blush that tinted her cheeks and neck was a delight to see, knowing that he was the cause of it.

Shortly after the clinic opened, a call came in about a male wildlife photographer in his late twenties whose subject, a snake, apparently wasn't ready for his close up. Determining that Lily was scared of snakes, Keeton recruited her for the rescue mission. _Great…another test._

Truth be told, Keeton just wanted her close - yet another opportunity to figure out what made Brenner tick.

After crossing a fraying rope bridge over a gigantic gorge that threatened to snap under the weight of a rat, let alone a human being, a snake-bite kit proved to be unnecessary as the snake was an anaconda – a non-poisonous snake that was presently wrapped 'snugly' around the photographer.

While crossing the river on foot, since the rope bridge couldn't accommodate a rescue party holding a stretcher, the anaconda chose that moment to release the victim, leaving him to potentially bleed out from his internal crushing injury. After a mad scramble to get the man to shore in order to stabilize him by using the canvas from the stretcher as a make-shift tourniquet, it was then Keeton saw the blood on Lily's shirt. Only then did she realize that she'd been bitten by the anaconda. The snake left Lily a souvenir – a dozen or so teeth plunged into her arm that she now had the pleasure of removing.

After one horrendously long surgery and being witness to a marriage proposal, Lily was frapped. The photographer had survived, but Lily might not - this heat was a killer.

One…Lily's sharply in-drawn breath from the pain bounced off the walls of the lab as she pulled out the first tooth.

She assumed that everyone was gone for the day, since night had fallen and the clinic was quiet except for the odd beep and hum from equipment in the ward. Jungle night sounds were in full swing, adding to the loneliness of her task.

Two…she bit-back a moan that threatened to escape her lips as she was finally able to extract a particularly stubborn tooth. _These tweezers were crap._

"These work better." Lily jumped as Keeton's low voice cut through the night - in his hand, a pair of needle-nose pliers. It seemed that he'd done this before.

"Here," he offered as sat down and gently took Lily's arm.

Catching a glimpse of what looked like an archaic cell phone Keeton read the display, "Smile. Don't kill anyone?"

"This…is my doctor crutch," Lily replied sheepishly.

"What does it mean?" he asked.

Lily proceeded to tell the man she was insanely attracted to about her fiancé, and how one morning after he had eaten the last of the cereal, she'd been pissed off and sent him to the store to get more. While he was out, he had texted her, "Smile. Don't kill anyone." She remembered smiling when she'd received that text.

Her breath hissed as Keeton twisted the tooth in order to remove it. "Sorry," he whispered, his low voice gliding over her like silk.

My god, she was on fire. What was going on with her? Was she so far gone that she broke out in a sweat the moment he was near? Lily was certain she would go up in flames where he was touching her arm.

"Cute. I hope you cut him some slack when he got home," he teased with a smile as he gently extracted the last tooth from Lily's arm and placed it in the jar.

"He never got home," Lily replied quietly. "A car hit him 3 blocks from the house."

Keeton's head shot up, his horrified stare searching out Lily's quietly resigned one.

"It's been 2 years," she whispered. "He's gone, but I'm still here," Keeton nodded, "…and I have to let go." Keeton's gaze took in her flushed cheeks and her glassy eyes.

Tearing his eyes away, Keeton reached for the Betadine. "This is going to sting a little," he said, soaking a large cotton swab before gently rolling it along Lily's wound, her sharply indrawn breath causing him to lower his head to gently blow on her skin. Realizing the intimacy of his gesture, they both looked up at each other.

Reacting, Lily raised her right hand to gently touch Keeton's hair, feeling the soft texture between her fingers, her eyes still trained on his. Her hand gently moved to cup his cheek, her thumb running lightly over his eyebrow. "Eyes the colour of the ocean after a storm," she said in a faraway voice, "I see your eyes in my sleep."

And as her fingertips moved gently along his skin, once again to thread in his hair, she leaned in and touched his lips with hers…and he was lost.


	3. Chapter 3

It took everything he had to let Brenner set the pace, as she gently explored his mouth with hers – her tongue lazily stroking his. She broke the connection only to nibble on his lower lip, adding fuel to the fire as Keeton strained to stay in control; taking the kiss deeper after Keeton's sharp intake of breath.

Lily's hands left Keeton only to remove her headband and the pins securing her bun at the nape of her neck, running her fingers through her now un-trapped hair. It was all very simple and efficient - something she did everyday - but right now, to Keeton it seemed incredibly sensual.

"Touch me, Ben," she begged. "Please, I need to feel your hands on me."

And with that, Keeton's control snapped. He buried his hands in Lily's hair, angling her head to take the kiss deeper. He was setting the pace now, and hoped to hell that she could keep up. His hands found their way to Lily's hips, dragging her off her chair and onto his lap, her thighs straddling him; the need to feel her against him was so strong. Lily instinctively started to rock against Keeton, his hands at her hips helping to set the pace - the friction of his hardness against her sensitive core pushing her towards something that was just out of reach. _Closer, she needed to be closer._

Desperation - he was consumed by it. He never saw it coming – never knew that he could want so much. Keeton struggled for at least a tenuous grasp on control, knowing that if he didn't, things would be over as quickly as they started. As he tried to slow Lily's rocking motion against his lap, he gentled the kiss, lifting his hand to tenderly cup her neck. The woman in his arms was deserving of so much more than a quickie in the lab. She was lovely and amazing, and hot, and…hot?

Christ, she was burning up! The heat emanating from Lily's body was shocking, considering that Keeton hadn't noticed it prior to his hand touching her neck. He had been so wrapped up in getting into Lily's pants that he'd stopped being a doctor. This was basic stuff, here - Doctoring 101. He'd missed the warning signs – her flushed cheeks, glassy eyes, her out of character behaviour. Her wound hadn't been that inflamed when he was removing the teeth, had it? Keeton was disgusted with himself. He had been so distracted by the woman on his lap that he let her condition worsen – unintentionally, sure…but negligently, most definitely.

"Lily, sweetheart," he said softly, as he gently but determinedly tried to extricate himself from her grasp. No response.

He tried again. "Brenner," he said sharply, trying to snap her out of her reverie, trying to connect with the doctor inside her, "You're burning up. You've got an infection from the snakebite that's driving up your temperature. You've got a fever, Lily. We've got to get your fluids up and get some antibiotics into you." Keeton tried to reason with a still clinging Lily. Giving up the battle with reason, he shoved his hands under her bottom and scooped her into his arms, carrying her over to his quarters. He could have brought her into the ward, a more appropriate place for her, but he needed to keep her close and away from potentially prying eyes that would see too much. His room would be much more convenient to check on her throughout the night since the couch was right there.

And as he kneeled on the mattress to lay her down on the bed, Lily's eyes opened and looked unseeingly into Keeton's guilt-filled eyes. Gently removing her arms from around his neck, Keeton got to work removing most of her clothing, giving only a cursory glance at her bra and panties before bringing the thin sheet up to cover her. Backing away from the bed, his mind started to race thinking about what he'd need from the pharmacy, taking stock of any hooks on the wall he could hang IV bags from since he wasn't going to waste time running to the ward.

"Please don't leave me." Lily's small voice broke through Keeton's thoughts, but when he turned to look at the woman lying in his bed, she was asleep. He had to fight the urge to crawl into bed with her and gather her small form up against him, but right now he wasn't her lover or her boyfriend. He was her doctor, and he had work to do.

After gathering everything needed to treat his patient, including gauze and tape for her still un-bandaged arm, Keeton got to work inserting the IV into the hand of Brenner's wounded arm, since she would still be favouring it when her fever broke and less likely to yank it around. The saline and antibiotic drips started, he got to work bandaging her arm where the snake had left its' calling card. She'd definitely have a battle scar from that one, but something told him that Brenner would downplay the courage she'd displayed today and look at her scar more as a flaw – not enough of a flaw to let Fuller try to correct it, but more of a reminder of her imperfections.

Taking her temperature to establish a baseline…103.6…concerning, but not alarmingly high, Keeton dragged a chair over to the bed. It wasn't like he was going to sleep much anyway. He poured himself a scotch and positioned the chair so that it faced Brenner's profile. Sitting down and propping his feet up on the bed by her legs, he stared at his patient and thought back to how his day had started and how the beautiful, defiant woman from this morning seemed so far away from the fragile, china-doll beauty sleeping in the bed in front of him. Her vulnerability as evidenced by her plea, "Please don't leave me," cut right through him, as he remembered saying those same words to a different woman 5 long years ago.

Reaching over to brush a stray lock of hair away from her face, Keeton answered, "I'm right here," to Lily's sleeping form. His attention focused on his patient, he never even noticed the redheaded woman standing in the doorway, nor the moisture that threatened to escape her tear-filled eyes, before she quietly turned and walked away.


	4. Chapter 4

_So cold, _was all that Lily could think – she must have muttered something out loud, since Keeton came to with a jolt, his empty glass falling to the floor and rolling under the bed.

Her teeth chattering, the only recognizable word out of Lily's lips was, 'cold.' Drawing the blanket up from the end of the bed to tuck around her, Lily's eyes opened and pinned Keeton with her feverish stare, "Please…so cold." Knowing that she was still too warm, but powerless to resist, Keeton removed all but his boxers and climbed into bed, gently drawing a shivering Lily against him. Eventually, her body quiet, they both slept, unknowingly finding comfort in each other's embrace.

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><p>Keeton was dreaming - he had to be. Why else would the hand of the feverish woman that he'd put to bed a couple of hours ago be gently tracing circles on his abdomen? Her head rested on his chest while the rest of her body was wrapped around the left side of his body…and he didn't dislike the feeling. But her hand was doing crazy things to his self-control. He may be all kinds of an ass, but he'd be damned if he was going to make love to a delirious woman. Trying to gently still Lily's IV-inserted hand with his, Keeton was further frustrated when he felt Lily's inner thigh and foot gently rubbing against his leg. <em>Christ, how much was one man to take?<em>

"Lily, sweetheart," he whispered. "Go back to sleep. You're still running a fever."

"Mmm…" Lily raised herself on her good arm to look down at the visibly frustrated Keeton, her leg crossing over both of his to straddle his lower body. And Keeton had been worried about her pulling out her IV in her feverish state. _What was he thinking?_

"Lily, we can't do this…you're sick," he tried to reason with the siren on top of him. "You won't even remember this in the morning…"

"If I'm not going to remember this in the morning, where's the harm in it?" she replied playfully, rotating her lower body against Keeton's erection, her breathy moan the punctuation to her words and the final nail in Keeton's coffin as he threaded his fingers in Lily's hair and brought her mouth down to his. As she continued her oh-so beautiful movements against his lower body, Keeton could feel her heat and wetness against him through the thin layers of fabric separating them – pretty much the only thing keeping him from going to hell…or to heaven.

Taking stock of her arm and the location of the tubing for her IV, Keeton carefully, but swiftly flipped her under him, taking control. "You've got to stop this, Lily. I'm not going to make love to you while you're out of your mind with fever."

"You want me, Ben. You know you do - your body doesn't lie. Please, I need you inside of me."

"Brenner, this isn't you – it's the fever."

Lily raised herself up to whisper in Keeton's ear, "Why are you so sure that this isn't the real me?" Keeton's words from this morning rattled around in his head before he rested his forehead against Lily's. His moral code was taking a beating tonight, but Keeton knew that he couldn't give in. Where he found the strength not to rip the thin piece of fabric away from her body and plunge himself into her, he hadn't a clue.

"I'm sorry, sweetheart, but when we do this, I don't want it to be like a dream you had the night before. I want you to remember every detail – every touch…every nibble…every stroke."

Words meant to distract and to soothe, had the opposite effect on Lily, who found them incredibly sexy. She let him know in her subtle way, wrapping her legs around him, her ankles at Keeton's firm ass, bringing his hardness against her so that his tip pressed at her entrance.

"Jesus, Lily, you're killing me, here," was Keeton's agonizing plea. Realizing that he'd have to take drastic measures, he kissed Lily softly and rolled off of her in order to get some room to breathe.

Her persistence was wearing him down. He knew that she wouldn't stop until he was buried deep inside of her. There was no other way. He had to do it.

Raising himself up on one elbow in order to look down at the woman beside him, he whispered, "Shh…now just relax," while his other hand founds its way to Lily's face, tracing his fingertips lightly across her cheek and down her neck. "This is for you," he continued, his hand coming to rest on the exposed area of one of her breasts, dipping underneath her bra to gently rub her nipple between his fingers. Her gasp of pleasure was encouragement enough to continue his quiet assault on her body. Removing the straps of her bra in order to gain better access, he replaced his fingers with his mouth, rolling one hard bud around on his tongue before giving her other breast equal attention. A gently nibble on her nipple caused Lily to gasp yet again, her reaction bringing a satisfied smile to Keeton's face. He was just getting started.

Placing his calloused hand on the soft-as-silk skin of Lily's ribcage, he started a leisurely journey to his ultimate destination. Reaching the waistband of her panties, Keeton teased Lily by dipping a finger under the elastic, caressing and then retreating to the soft skin of her belly. His hand continued it's gentle torture, as his palm traveled past the curve of her hip, coming to rest on suppleness of her inner thigh.

Lily's hips bucked at the slight graze of his fingers over her sensitive flesh as his hand traveled back over the front of her panties to her waistband, his hand finally traveling underneath the fabric to gently stroke her. His fingers wet with her moisture, Keeton gently circled her hard little nub of flesh within her softness while fastening his mouth to Lily's breast, his tongue on her nipple mimicking the action of his fingers. She was so close, her hips moving with each motion of his fingers. Keeton lifted his head from her breast and covered her mouth with his – a kiss so deep that it seemed a lifeline for both of them. When it seemed that Lily was right on the edge of her climax, his fingers entered her, thrusting to push her further towards her goal. And with that, Lily flew apart, her cries muffled by their kiss.

Their kisses gentled, helping to ground Lily after her high. Keeton raised the sheet over top of them both, his quiet and gentle movements never belying the pain he was in. His lower body was rock hard and straining against his boxers, and as he lay back in the bed with the woman who was quickly becoming so important to him, he closed his eyes and listened to the sound of her breathing beside him. Sleep for him would not come so easily.


	5. Chapter 5

Keeton's internal clock went off at 5:30am, just as it did every morning. Carefully extricating himself from the woman curled around him, he got out of bed and checked her IV. Everything looked good – her fever was down. A quick shower and a hike, and he'd be back to check on her before having to open the clinic.

For the first time since he could remember, he was eager to see what the day would bring.

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><p>Lily awoke slowly, not unlike the lifting of a veil or fog. Everything was just a little bit distant, but after a few minutes, she was able to take stock of her surroundings – her IV, the chair beside the bed, the morning sunlight spilling into the room. She vaguely remembered Keeton putting her to bed last night, but had just assumed that she was in the ward. That definitely wasn't the case. She was in Keeton's bed…and she was alone.<p>

She quickly lifted the sheet, and peeked at what she was wearing; Lily flopped back down on the pillow in relief to see that she was still dressed in her bra and panties. _Thank god!_ Now if she could only remember what had happened last night to land her in Keeton's bed? She knew that she'd been feeling incredibly warm when Keeton was removing the anaconda teeth from her arm, but everything from that point was a bit fuzzy around the edges. Now and again, brief flashes of something would pop into Lily's head – more like feelings rather than pictures, really. She couldn't be sure if they were dreams or memories. The only thing she was sure of was that the sea-green eyes of Dr. Ben Keeton were the one constant in those elusive flashes.

The clock on Keeton's desk flickered 6:32am. She was late. The clinic would be open in less than 30 minutes. If she hurried, she could head back to her cabin and maybe have enough time for a shower before her shift started. Lily reached back for the two bags of fluid connected to her body, threw back the covers and sat on the edge of the bed, letting her body adjust to the new position. Grabbing the blanket from the bed and awkwardly wrapping it around her, she made her way to the pharmacy on shaky legs. After carefully removing the IV and applying pressure, she clumsily dressed the back of her hand. Not her best job, but it would have to do.

She headed back into Keeton's room to find her clothes. Throwing on her cargos and her tank top, she grabbed her shirt and headed out the door as quickly as her rubbery legs would take her. She was so late.

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><p>Back from his morning hike and shower, Keeton was looking forward to heading back to his quarters and finding a still-sleeping Lily in his bed. She'd probably sleep for a while, yet. He had a smile on his face as he quickly took the stairs two-at-a-time. He'd just poke his head in and check on her before opening the clinic. Opening the door to the Admin office doubling as his quarters, Keeton quietly slipped inside so as not to wake Lily, only to find his bed empty and his patient gone.<p>

She was in no shape to be wandering around the jungle – not after a high-grade fever. As a doctor, she should know that. What was she thinking? She could be anywhere, lying on the jungle floor. _Damn it!_ _There goes his good mood._

And as he headed out of his office and down the stairs, he passed Zee in the garden. Taking in his determined stride and stormy expression, Zee knew that one of Keeton's new recruits was going to catch hell. They spoke simultaneously.

"Don't worry, I'll open the clinic." Zee said, recognizing his mood.

"Zee, I'm going to need you to open the clinic." Keeton said, not even breaking stride.

* * *

><p>Freshly showered, Lily wrapped a towel around her body and walked to her cabin. She felt surprisingly drained, like much of her strength had disappeared with the water from her shower. Oh well, she'd just have to push on through – she'd done it before while working in the ER. Putting on clean underwear and a bra, she set about finding a pair of cargos and a tank top to wear.<p>

Knock, knock…"Brenner," came the irritated voice of her boss before he stepped into the room

"Dr. Keeton!" Lily stood in front of Keeton, yet again in a state of undress – it was beginning to become a habit. Quickly grabbing her wet towel off the hook on the wall, she wrapped it around her half-dressed body.

"What are you doing out of bed? You should still be resting." His frustration was apparent, but Lily was unsure of the cause. "As a doctor, you should know that you'd experience weakness and fatigue after a high-grade fever. What if you passed out walking back here? What then?" Keeton was just getting started. "You don't think that we have enough to do back at the clinic than search the jungle looking for your body? You, of all people, should know how unforgiving the jungle is."

"Hey, wait a minute," came Lily's shocked reply. "You may be my boss, but you aren't my keeper. I appreciate you taking care of me last night – pulling the teeth from my arm and giving up your bed for me, but I'm fully capable of taking care of myself." Lily's mounting frustration was a match for Keeton's.

"Like you took care of yourself yesterday, allowing your bite to get infected like that? You should have left the OR yesterday to take care of it when I told you to." Keeton could feel the hole he was digging getting deeper and deeper, but was powerless to stop. This day could have started so much differently if she would have just stayed in his bed.

_Wait…she said that I gave up my bed for her. So, she doesn't remember anything?_ Keeton knew that she probably wouldn't, but had hoped otherwise. She has no clue about the sweet agony she'd put him through or how much of himself he'd lost to her last night. Truth be told, there was a part of him that was disappointed. Thinking about how he must seem like a raving lunatic to her right about now, Keeton made an effort to calm down.

"Brenner, last night you were out of your mind with fever. How did you think that I felt when I walked into my room this morning to find you gone? Your fever had broken during the night, but finding you gone this morning was still concerning. You don't know how much of a challenge it was last night to get you to settle. Your sleep was pretty fitful, so I thought you'd welcome the chance to sleep in this morning." _Sounded reasonable enough._

Lily visibly calmed down with Keeton's words and change in tone. "I didn't realize how high-maintenance I must have been last night. It may not have sounded like it, but when I said that I appreciated you taking care of me and giving up your bed last night, I really meant it. I know that probably the last thing you wanted was to have to take care of one of your new employees, especially after a long day."

"It wasn't so bad, Brenner – it had its' moments," he replied with a little smile, his gaze locking with hers. As he held Lily's gaze, Keeton fought the urge to walk her backwards toward the bed and finish what she was so intent on starting last night. Clearing his throat, he offered, "Why don't you go back to bed for a few hours and then see how you feel. If, at that point, you feel ready to come back to work, you know where we are." It was really all that he could ask for, and probably all that he would get from her in terms of relaxation.

Somehow, after being trapped by Keeton's gaze for those few moments, Lily had a feeling that something had shifted between them, but had nothing tangible to attribute it to. Just like her brief flashes, it was just a feeling she had.

Keeton took a step toward Lily and placed the back of his hand against her forehead, holding it in place for a few moments. To her what seemed like Keeton checking her temperature was actually satisfying his need to touch her. Turning over his hand so that his palm was against her skin, Keeton gently stroked his way from her cheekbone to her jaw, his thumb and eyes coming to rest on her lower lip. Her surprise evident, Lily held her breath waiting for what was to follow.

Keeton dropped his hand and stepped back. "Get some rest. I'll come and check on you later," his softly accented voice instructed before he turned and headed out Lily's door and back to the clinic.

Lily's softly expelled breath was the only sound in the room.

* * *

><p>Four hours later, Lily made her way to the clinic feeling relatively rested, but unnerved by what had transpired in her cabin. Not only were Keeton's actions from this morning confusing, but also had her dreams been during her nap. They'd been filled with Dr. Ben Keeton and the beautiful things he'd been doing to her body – deep, soul-shattering kisses, calloused hands against her soft skin, talented fingers bringing her to release. She was a wreck and had to get out of her cabin – out of her own head.<p>

What was so confusing was that Lily wasn't sure that it had all been a dream. _Something that vivid couldn't just be supposition or wishful thinking, could it? _It had all felt so…familiar. _He would have said something if it had all been real, wouldn't he? _She had to find him – to ask him, otherwise she'd just be going over and over it inside her head and that kind of distraction could be potentially deadly to her patients.

She arrived at the steps of the clinic, only to find the _man of her dreams_ standing on the veranda – his usual stethoscope around his neck and patient's chart in his hands. As if sensing her presence, Keeton's head turned in Lily's direction, his green eyes fastening on her blue ones. Nerves had Lily breaking eye contact, but internally strengthening her resolve, she climbed the clinic steps to stand on the veranda beside Keeton, Zee and Cole.

"Welcome back, Brenner," was Keeton's greeting. "I hope you're well rested, because we've been slammed for most of the morning."

"I'm good to go, Dr. Keeton – ready to work," was Lily's reply, her awkwardness fading as the familiar surroundings gave her comfort and confidence. Here, she had a measure of control – she knew what was expected of her and could think on her feet with the many and varied situations the jungle threw at her. Looking around her at the people on the veranda, she smiled. She could handle this.

Then, a loud voice from behind Keeton, "Who do you have to sleep with around here to get the morning off work?"

Lily's and Keeton's eyes snapped to meet each other – shock evident in both of their gazes.

The voice belonged to Dr. Ryan Clark.


	6. Chapter 6

"_Who do you have to sleep with around here to get the morning off work?"_

Ryan's words, which seemed playful to Zee and Cole, actually had a hard edge to them and were directed at the two people who gazes were currently locked in surprise.

"Apparently, I'm sleeping with the wrong man, seeing as I had to open the clinic this morning." Cole took issue with Zee's statement and nipped at her neck in retaliation. "Seems that our fearless leader stormed off at opening time to give one of his new recruits hell." Zee had no idea of the can of worms she was opening. She had no reason to look for any hidden meaning behind Ryan's words.

Lily's discomfort apparent, she tore her gaze from Keeton's and said to no one in particular, "I'll just get rid of my pack and get to work," walking away from the group of senior doctors.

"Hmm, I wonder what's up with her? Maybe she woke up on the wrong side of the bed?" Ryan's seemingly innocent comment was loaded with meaning, and didn't sit well with Keeton. _What did she know?_ He grabbed her arm and said, "Dr. Clark, can I talk to you for a moment, please." It wasn't a question as he practically dragged Ryan to his office, knowing he'd need a measure of privacy for this conversation.

"Is there a problem, Dr. Keeton?" Ryan asked sweetly.

"You tell me," was his response.

"I told you that you wouldn't be lonely long, but you could have at least had the decency to tell me first about you and Brenner."

"Tell you what about me and Brenner? That last night she was so out-of-her-mind with fever that I tucked her into bed and stayed up almost all night trying to settle her? Is that what you want me to tell you?" Sure, it was only part of the truth, but providing all of the details would be hurtful, and caring as he did about Ryan, he didn't want to be the cause of that pain.

"I saw you, Ben." C_hrist, how much did she see? _"I saw you at her bedside, and to me it didn't look like just a doctor caring for his patient. Words came out of your mouth that I've never heard before - at least you never said them to me. And it wasn't just the words, Ben. It was the way you said them – like you were making a promise."

_Damn it,_ Keeton thought, running his hand over his face. She was right…about everything. He had no idea what Lily felt, or even if she felt anything beyond simple attraction, but Keeton knew that he'd been forever changed by his new doctor. Knowing that a part of him would always love Abby, he now felt ready to move forward and give himself permission to _feel_ again. It didn't stop him from feeling like crap for hurting Ryan, though.

"Clark, I'm sorry. Please know that I didn't go looking for this. It just happened. She just happened." One resume out of hundreds, and here Lily was turning his world upside down with her tightly bundled hair and her uniform of cargos and tank tops, with her beauty and her capacity to care, her instincts and her competence, and her vulnerability. "I care about you, Ryan, but what you and I have isn't enough anymore and you..."

"…I'm not the one who can give you what you need. I'm not Lily Brenner." Ryan finished Keeton's sentence for him.

"I was going to say that you deserve so much more than whatever this is between us – sex and fights and running away. It wasn't working, Ryan," he finished quietly.

"I know, but knowing that doesn't make it any easier." Clark had a feeling things would end this way when she first met Lily Brenner. Not when she stole Lily's cab, but when they met at the waterfall and later when she noticed Keeton's reaction to her. Coming in a distant second was never a good feeling, especially when she had given so much of her heart to Keeton. He was just never as invested as she.

"Will you stick around, this time? Do you still want to work here?" Keeton asked, hoping that he wouldn't lose a great physician.

"Giving back to this area is very important to me, Keeton. I came here for a reason, and as long as that reason still exists, I'll stick around. I didn't come here for you, so get over yourself," Ryan made a half-hearted attempt to tease, downplaying the ache in her heart.

Reaching out to wrap his arms around his friend and employee, Keeton said, "I'm glad you're staying."

It was at that moment that Lily walked by his office and saw the two doctors in an embrace - so much for confronting Keeton about last night. Obviously, what she had experienced were just dreams. Lily felt silly for imagining otherwise. Tamping down her disappointment, she mentally scolded herself for jumping to conclusions.

Keeton's eyes rose to meet hers before she could make a hasty retreat.

Something about the look in her eyes made his stomach tighten. Was it dejection or resignation he saw? _Damn it._ "Brenner…" he started, trying to explain.

"I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to interrupt. Umm…Cole needs me out in the field so I'm…just…going to go," Lily offered lamely. Turning, she walked across the veranda and down the stairs, jumping in the back of the truck. Keeton was out the door and down the stairs, but not quick enough. Banging on the top to let Cole and Mina know she was ready to go, she held Keeton's gaze as the truck drove away.


	7. Chapter 7

Another exhausting day, but this one had been as much emotionally exhausting as physically – maybe even more so.

A body-tired day is a good day – the feeling of satisfaction that comes with pushing through the wall and not only getting through it, but also excelling. Completion. An emotionally tired day leaves one feeling unable to properly cope. Ill equipped. Lily may have gotten through the day, but she was feeling…vulnerable.

After checking on her patients and completing her charts, she grabbed her pack and started across the veranda to make her way back to her cabin.

Keeton hadn't been at the clinic when she, Cole and Mina had gotten back from their call, but had been out responding to a call of his own. They hadn't seen each other at all once he'd gotten back, as he'd gone straight into the OR with Cole and Tommy, and Lily had been busy with patients. Somehow she felt better knowing he was around – that thought gave her comfort. How his presence could reassure and ground her, while tempting and challenging her at the same time, she didn't know. All she knew was that she'd missed him today, but the current status of their relationship – if you could call it that – was unsettling.

She could have gone around the building to avoid having to pass in front of Keeton's office, but Lily Brenner wasn't a coward…plus, she couldn't shake the need to see him. She may not be a coward, but most certainly she was a glutton for punishment. Steeling her nerve, she approached his office and leaned against the door frame. Keeton was sitting at his desk doing paperwork, a bottle of scotch by his hand. As if sensing her presence, he raised his head.

"Hey," she said softly.

"Hey yourself," he answered back, a slight smile touching his lips. "How are you doing? It feels like I haven't seen you all day."

"Well, almost all day." Lily put down her pack and approached Keeton's desk. "I'm good – tired, but good. I didn't lose anyone today, so I'm feeling pretty happy about that," she kidded. "What about you?"

Pushing his chair away from his desk, Keeton stood up and rounded his desk. Sitting on the edge, he started to share his day with the woman in front of him. "I helped to bring a baby boy into the world today, a couple of villages over. He was breech, and about 6 weeks premature but he's a strong little guy – he's got a great set of lungs for his size." Keeton felt pretty good about his day, all except for the look on Lily's face when she saw him with Ryan.

"Look, Brenner…" he started.

"You don't need to say anything, Dr. Keeton. I really just wanted to clear up any weirdness between us and tell you that we're good. Things were a bit awkward this morning, but I'm clear on where things stand. We're good." Lily was feeling pretty proud of herself and her ability to downplay her internal turmoil. Mina would be proud of her.

"You're clear on where things stand?" Keeton confirmed, getting up from the desk and walking the few steps to stand in front of Brenner.

"I just mean that this morning I was a bit confused because of last night and you in my cabin this morning. Then there were the dreams and the way you kept looking at me…" _Oh crap, she wasn't making any sense._ Lily paused and tried to start again. "I was confused, but I'm not anymore. I understand now." _Why was he standing so close?_

"What do you think you understand, Lily?" Keeton raised his hands to remove the pins from Lily's hair, dropping them one by one onto the floor along with her headband, his hands threading themselves through her silky dark hair as it fell to her shoulders. Lily was getting confused again.

"You're with Ryan. I know that," she tentatively offered.

"You know that, do you?" he said. Keeton's strong fingers started to lightly massage her scalp, releasing the tension of the day before lightly combing through her hair to smooth it. Lily could hardly keep her eyes open; she couldn't stop herself from moaning aloud, the feel of his fingers was so exquisite. "Better?" his gentle voice nudged her out of her trance.

"Mmm…better. If you keep that up, I'm not going to be able to make it back to my cabin." The pleasure in her voice had Keeton smiling. He leaned in and whispered, "So don't."

And with Keeton's comment, Lily's eyes fluttered open, staring at him in confusion. "But you and Ryan…"

"Ryan and I are through, Lily," he clarified.

"But I saw you two…" she was having a hard time reconciling his words with what she'd witnessed in his office earlier on in the day.

"What you saw were two people saying goodbye. She'll still be working here, but our relationship is over. Realistically, it's been over for a while, now." Keeton looked into Lily's eyes trying to determine if his words were registering.

"I'm sorry, Dr. Keeton. Are you okay?" Ever the caring friend, Lily's concern was endearing, and yet another thing about her he was humbled by.

"Yes, Lily, I'm okay," Keeton replied gently, with a smile. "It was time. I mean, how could I be in a relationship with one person when I can't stop thinking about someone else?" There it was…his cards were on the table. He just hoped that Lily was coherent enough to grasp the meaning in his words.

Realization dawned on Lily like the sun breaking through the clouds, her body warming as the meaning of Keeton's words found a home in her heart. Buoyed by her awareness of Keeton's feelings, Lily teased, "Does Fuller know how you feel? You two would make a cute couple." She was completely unaware of the lengths he would go to in retaliation.

She squealed and tried to evade Keeton's grasp, almost making it to the door before he grabbed her and pinned her against the wall. Reaching to close the door with one hand while clasping both of Lily's wrists above her head with his other hand, Keeton said, "Funny. You're very funny, Brenner. But you're forgetting who you're dealing with here."

The feel of his body against hers immediately ceased her struggle – 6'1" of hard male against a woman will do that. "Refresh my memory. Who am I dealing with, Dr. Keeton?" Lily taunted, her breath quickening in anticipation.

"I'm the man who made you come last night, Brenner," he whispered softly in Lily's ear, his teeth grazing her earlobe before his mouth trailed fire down her neck, "…and I want to do it again."

_Oh, thank god - they weren't just dreams! _

Angling her head to give Keeton's mouth access, Lily begged, "Please…my hands." The need to touch him was overwhelming. Keeton's lips changed course, finding their way to Lily's jaw line, her soft sighs all the encouragement he needed. It was his turn to drive her crazy like she had done to him last night. When Keeton finally released the wrists he'd held captive, Lily buried her fingers in his hair to bring his mouth up to meet hers, her mouth swallowing his low groan of pleasure.

To Lily, the sensation of Keeton's mouth on hers was both familiar and new. With every stroke of his tongue, her memories of last night took shape, fueling her desire. Had their encounter at the waterfall been just yesterday? How could so much have changed between them in such a brief time? How could she want him so much when just two short days ago, he'd just been her boss and a beautiful fantasy?

Their mouths greedy, their hands desperate for the touch of each other's skin, Keeton made short work of the buttons on Lily's shirt, grabbing the hem of her tank top to pull it over her head. Cupping her face in his hands, he leaned in and gently kissed her, his fingers traveling down to play with the skin beneath her bra straps. Lily reached back to undo the fastening of her bra - even knowing that he was familiar with her body, Lily's nervousness caused her fingers to fumble slightly before the clasp let go. _So much for sexy_, she thought, but to Keeton she was beautiful.

Their gazes locked; Keeton trailed his fingers down her shoulders and across the soft skin of her breasts, lingering only for a moment at the hard buds of her nipples before lightly stroking their way to the waistband of her cargos. His green eyes sought confirmation in her blue ones as his fingers played with the waistband. Receiving it, his fingers efficiently undid the fastenings, his hands sliding under the fabric to cup her panty-clad bottom before pushing the material down her legs. Even though last night had made her body familiar to him, he was captivated by the vision of Lily before him.

Lily's fingers were unsteady at the buttons of Keeton's shirt. Finally undoing the last one, she ran both hands up his chest to his shoulders. The heat in Keeton's eyes at the touch of Lily's fingers made her bold, as she pushed the fabric down his arms to fall on the floor and leaned in to touch her tongue to his skin. Keeton's sharp intake of breath as she ran her tongue up from his collarbone to gently nip at his neck made her smile against his skin before he took charge and dragged her mouth up to his. He was ravenous for this woman, and couldn't fathom a future without her.

Their mouths parting briefly, Keeton searched Lily's eyes and said, "Stay with me." He wasn't only talking about that night.

A smile on her face, Lily's hands found the button to his cargos, "Just try and stop me," and unzipped Keeton's fly, pushing his pants down for him to step out of them. Lifting her up so that her legs wrapped around his waist, Keeton walked Lily over to the bed, his hands rotating her lower body against his erection. her soft moans all the encouragement he needed. Remembering the persistence and determination of this woman last night, he smiled, "I wouldn't dare."


End file.
